JC Parks opens ropes challenge course to public

This week has 33 students, including Kambell Winegar, 11, participating in the Jefferson City Parks and Recreation's Binder Adventure II. Tuesday's activity featured the ropes challenge course in the woods at Binder Park.
This week has 33 students, including Kambell Winegar, 11, participating in the Jefferson City Parks and Recreation's Binder Adventure II. Tuesday's activity featured the ropes challenge course in the woods at Binder Park.

For the first time, the Jefferson City Parks, Recreation and Forestry Department is accepting group and individual rentals at the ropes challenge course.

Deep in Binder Park, off Rainbow Road, is the department's hidden gem - the ropes challenge course.

Before this summer, the ropes challenge course was only available for camps through the Parks Department, Outdoor Recreation Program Manager Alexis Kerman said.

The Parks Department wanted to offer a "new and innovative" activity to the public, Kerman said.

"Being able to open that up to the public means we are providing a new form of activity and a different way for people to engage with parks and recreation and with outdoors," she said.

Group rentals

Groups can rent the ropes challenge course for various events like birthday parties, work outings or scouting activities.

"We're looking to be able to provide a way for groups that want to focus on team building or even just a fun day with the group as a different activity than like going bowling or going to the gym and playing basketball," Kerman said. "This is a different activity for them to do and a unique one at that."

The course contains high and low elements.

The high elements include walking across a log suspended more than 25 feet in the air, swing across ropes to trees and sliding down ropes. The course also includes an 18-foot climbing tower and a zip line.

The low elements involve team-building activities, such as walking across tight-rope wires.

"It's just different team activities that really put groups in a situation where we challenge them to find a solution to a problem and how to overcome that and get through it together," Kerman said.

The Parks Department can tailor each activity to the group, she said, adding some groups would rather only do team-building activities instead of the high-elements course and vice versa.

While the normal times for the group rentals are Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays, the times and dates are flexible.

The cost to reserve the ropes challenge course varies depending on the number of people and the length of the rental.

LEG program

While the department's main focus is on the group rentals, Kerman said, the department offers the lead, explore, grow (LEG) program for individuals.

The program runs every Wednesday and Friday in June and July. At least eight people must register before the department runs the program.

For $20 per person, individuals can use low elements at the rope challenge course from 9 a.m.-noon Wednesdays and Fridays.

For $25 per person, individuals can use high elements at the course from 1-4 p.m. Wednesdays and Fridays.

LEG groups may reserve the course any day of the week, but Kerman must approve it first, the city's website states.

Those interested in scheduling activities at the ropes challenge course can call the Parks Department at 573-634-6482 or email Kerman at [email protected].